It's easy to see why David Petraeus was chosen to command US troops in Iraq. He finished first in ranger school, US army's grueling combat preparation course, and won three top awards in process. His fortitude has saved him on more than one occasion. During a training exercise in Kentucky in 1991, he was accidentally shot in chest with an M-i6 rifle. He survived thanks to five hours of surgery performed by former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a cardiac surgeon who became a good friend of Petraeus's. Nine years later, Petraeus was 60 feet in air when his parachute collapsed, sending hardy general plummeting to ground. The accident broke his pelvis, but not his spirit. Unlike first two incidents, Petraeus's selection as commander of multinational force Iraq is anything but accidental.The media-and many in Washington-have dubbed Petraeus one man who can salvage Bush administration's calamitous war in Iraq-a last chance of sorts. Interviewing him in June 2004, BBC's John Simpson wryly observed, everything US forces as a whole have failed to be in Iraq. He's clever, he's media friendly, and he actually seems to like Iraqis.1 Most importantly, unlike previous commanders, he has acknowledged that military might alone will never pacify country, and is blunt-yet hopeful-about Iraq's future.You're not going to kill your way out of an insurgency, Petraeus told German news magazine Der Spiegel in 2006. You have to take out elements that will never reconcile with new government, with this system, but then try to win over rest. And this part is not done with tanks and rifles.Petraeus encourages Iraqis and Americans to believe that, despite odds, Iraq will soon be capable of governing and defending itself. As he told senate armed services committee at his confirmation hearing, the situation in Iraq is dire. The stakes are high. There are no easy choices. The way ahead will be very hard. But hard is not hopeless.Petraeus's critics accuse him of arrogance, while his backers argue that it is actually his determination that is often mistaken for overconfidence. But for all of his resolve, he may still come out of Iraq as fall guy. As President George W. Bush acknowledges American public's war fatigue by warning Iraqi leaders that US commitment is not without end, Democrats and even Republicans have begun pushing for a phased withdrawal to begin sooner rather than later. Petraeus has repeatedly warned that soldiers in Iraq are fighting a counterinsurgency that will require a long-term vision and will be tricky to disengage from. Not surprisingly, his evaluation did not go over well on Capitol Hill. Despite his credentials and candid assessment of realities on ground in Iraq, Petraeus was given a cool reception by Nancy Pelosi, speaker of house of representatives. She refused to meet with him after his confirmation, opting instead for a brief phone call.Ironically, given his call for patience in Iraq, he has said his greatest weakness is impatience, something he shares with Bush administration but has seemingly overcome for sake of fighting insurgency and facilitating a well-timed withdrawal.Born David Howell Petraeus on 7 November 1952 in Cornwall-onHudson, New York, future four-star general excelled at sports and academia. Peaches, as he was known to youngsters who couldn't pronounce his surname, showed leadership skills early on as president of ski club and by scoring seven goals as a striker on his championship-winning high school soccer team. Classmates recall a pleasant, punctual boy whose plans after high school included college, but who was unsure of a career path.Petraeus's father, Sixtus, was a captain in Dutch navy who immigrated to New York after World War II. Until recently he lived in same white house on Avenue A where his son had grown up, not far from United States Military Academy at West Point. …